Six Moons Wild Oasis-Condensation Help!!!

[q-tip]

Just used the Wild Oasis on a four day AT hike in NY. It rained three nights in a row, night one the end of my sleeping bag got soaked. night two- lots of condensation. Night three-extreme condensation and my bag got totally soaked. Any suggestions on how to minimize the condensation in this tarp???? I have set it up a million times and can't seem to get any height on the back portion of the tarp and hence-no airflow.

[garlic08]

First, can you prop a stick under one or more of the guy lines on the back, to raise it up? I've done that on the foot end of my Contrail with good results. Leave the door open as much as you can, all the way if wind is coming from the opposite direction. I don't know that tarp, but your pitch looks good. I do that especially if I expect a little snow. I'm not sure it would work with your tarp.

Second, site selection is important to reduce condensation. If you can avoid low-lying areas near water, you'll be a little dryer. For example, is that a lake I see in the background of the first photo? That's going to be a very dewy morning even if it doesn't rain.

Typically three or four days and nights of continuous rain is about all I've ever been able to handle before sunshine, a dryer, a fire, or some other kind of heat is needed to try out insulation. (The advantage of the light gear is that you can travel many miles pretty easily during that time.) Often all you need is 10 or 15 minutes of afternoon sunshine and a breeze to dry things out nicely. That's a good idea even if it didn't rain overnight.

Do you have a bandanna or something to dry off the inside of the tarp? On a very wet night, I might do that during the night, and usually before getting up in the morning. That might help keep the bag dryer.

You might look into DWR coating for the bag. When my bag was new, the coating worked pretty well. Now, not so much, and I don't want to recoat it--it hasn't been a real problem.

Good luck figuring it out. Tarps definitely have a learning curve.

[q-tip]

Sticks--Great Suggestion!!!

[Franco]

Q Tip
Grass produces a lot of evaporation . I see that you use a full groundsheet but even so it will come through the mesh (my backyard is great for this...)
Try to set it up close to bushes because they create a micro climate that may reduce condensation.
BTW, I use a kitchen cloth to wipe the walls down. Absorbs water faster than most other type cloths.

Franco

[ScottP]

I had the same problem and never could resolve them.

I went back to a 6x10 flat tarp and highly prefer it to the wild oasis

[Colter]

I like the Wild Oasis. You've gotten some good suggestions so far. One thing I do is extend my hiking pole slightly higher than recommended. With some experimenting you'll be able to get more ground clearance and better air flow.

[Mags]

As other said, all about the ground clearance and site selection.

Another consideration is how tall you are. A tall person may end up bumping against the sides quite a bit.

Finally, how much time are you spending in the shelter? Lightweight shelters such as the Wild Oasis is more to sleep in than hang out in.

Walk all day, set up camp, eat, sleep. Repeat. If you find you have more camp time, a different shelter may be better.


Anyway, just a few thoughts

[stranger]

Also...even if you can get more airflow going through the bottom of the tent, this isn't really going to do much for any condensation towards the top, and we all know peak vents do very little.

You are using a 4 sides, shaped tarp...you are going to have ventilation issues! There is no open end and no cross ventilation possible.

The best advice I would give is never set up in large grassy areas, try to stick to the woods, under trees, etc...Avoid camping right next to creeks or ponds, etc...

All sheters have condensation issues, the difference with your situation is that there is no barrier between you and the condensation - that's all. You might want to try something like the Superlight Bivy by MLD, get a barrier between you and those drippy walls.

[q-tip]

Thanks All-Very Helpful...

[daddytwosticks]

+1 with Franco. Setting up in a grassy field looks nice and inviting, but I've learned it's just a condensation nightmare.

[Connie]

Everything everyone else said is good. I never pitch a shelter on grass, if I can avoid it.

I like the PolarWrap Exchanger Face Mask for keeping warm, and for eliminating condensation from moisture from breathing. Your own breath has a great deal of moisture that condenses on the inside of the shelter.

[Connie]

This is the vendor, now.

Amazon has some left, at a discount. Google helps find sale prices.

I also recommend it because I experience more warmth out of the more lightweight sleeping systems and the face mask keeps moisture off the down, as well.

I started using this mask, because breathing IN cold air reduces my core temperature.

My idea was to feel warmer in a more lightweight sleep system.

The condensation issue was a bonus.

[Franco]

A comment at another forum about a similar shelter reminded me of this...
During the night we lose around 2 lbs exalting and in perspiration .
The closer your mouth is to the fabric , the more likely it is that you will get a condensation build up .
This is why the same shelter can be a condensation factory for one (say a 6'3" 250lbs guy sleeping on a thick mat) yet another (5'8" and 150lbs on a thin mat...) will swear that it is the driest shelter he has ever had...
Franco

[ScottS]

2lbs is on the higher end, but yeah, floating a pound or two overnight is normal and if your setup doesn't allow for that to go anywhere but the inside of your tarp, you're going to have to address that in the morning.

[Tipi Walter]

Just used the Wild Oasis on a four day AT hike in NY. It rained three nights in a row, night one the end of my sleeping bag got soaked. night two- lots of condensation. Night three-extreme condensation and my bag got totally soaked. Any suggestions on how to minimize the condensation in this tarp???? I have set it up a million times and can't seem to get any height on the back portion of the tarp and hence-no airflow.

Had this been a 10 day winter trip with off-and-on sleet you would have been challenged and tested. Here are three words you might consider: Double Wall Tent. Double walls have been fighting off condensation for decades with good results, so why torture yourself? Plus, and here's my pet peeve---NO PART OF YOUR TENT SHOULD TOUCH YOUR SLEEPING BAG. This is a common thing with the very light single wall tents so popular nowadays.

Site selection should never be a criteria for setting up camp. Suppose you're finishing up the day on a nighthike and find a level spot to camp by a lake or on grass. What? Are you gonna pass it up just because you have a "sub-standard" tent? With a better shelter you have more freedom---a multi-tool for multi-jobs.

[Connie]

Tipi Walter,

It may be because I do my backpacking in high mountains, but I was taught the best campsite is just below the crest of a ridge. It avoids all the insects that live near water and the colder air sinks into the low spots, like a lakeside.

That said, I fashioned a dew-cloth I tie-in to the Shangri La 3 at the tie-in places for the Shangri La Nest for when I want to camp by the river. (I didn't purchase the Nest because I wanted no ground sheet at the entrance.)